Terlingua Ghost Town

Not worth the 5 mile drive to get there after leaving Big Bend. People now live all around the ruins.

If you’re looking to get a few chills while out in the Texas heat, check out Terlingua. The lonely outpost near Big Bend is a ghost town, with a view of the Santa Fe de Los Pinos. The former mining town fell into abandonment by the late 1940s.

Today, Terlingua offers tours of the abandoned city and a gift shop at The Terlingua Trading Company. Over at the Starlight Theatre, you’ll find live music and Mexican cuisine in a historical environment. The town also has several bed and breakfast options if you want to stay in the ghost town for a night or two.

We think Terlingua is one of the best small towns in Texas!

Want to feel like you've stepped into the old Texas west? Terlingua is the place for you! Sit down on the porch and have a beer while watching the desert sunset (or have a breakfast burrito to the desert sunrise!) Stop here on your way in or out of Big Bend and feel like an old cowboy.

We ate at the restaurant right off the highway... Beer was cold and Mexican plate was good... Won't do the kid's burgers or fajitas again. Waitress was nice view from upstairs and the patio up there makes it all worth it! Cemetery was interesting... Check out the Starlight theater... !

It's pretty light on the "ghost"... Terlingua is less abandoned than some ghost towns, and parts of it are still kind of modern. That being said, it's a quirky, fun place to explore!